Oct 3, 2015; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Mark Richt (right) walks away from the handshake with Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban after the game at Sanford Stadium. Alabama defeated Georgia 38-10. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
2008 Georgia – The Black Out
The third-ranked Georgia Bulldogs were flying high. After a road win over South Carolina to open SEC play and a big non-conference win at Arizona State, they returned home to face No.8 Alabama.
College Gameday was in town for Alabama Football. Lee Corso picked the Bulldogs with his headgear pick. Georgia was wearing black jerseys for just the third time in school history. They were ready to have the season of a lifetime, and they wanted everyone to know what they were doing.
But nobody cleared that plan with Nick Saban.
Instead of letting the Bulldogs announce their intentions for the season, Nick Saban had his coming out party.
Alabama got the ball first, and a seven-yard Mark Ingram touchdown run completed a 73-yard drive. Georgia was held scoreless in the first half and the Tide just kept coming with touchdowns by Glen Coffee, Roy Upchurch, and Julio Jones. At halftime, Bama lead 31-0.
Georgia scored 10 in the third quarter to come back within three scores, but the Tide poured on ten more points and the final score of 41-30 looks much closer than this game ever was.
Even believers in Nick Saban had expected it to take him more than two years to turn the Tide into even a shadow of what the powerhouse program had been under Bear Bryant, but after big wins over Clemson and Georgia in the first half of the 2008 season, even the most skeptical eyes were turned on Tuscaloosa.
Next: 2009 Alabama vs. Tennessee